The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-12-30

To one or two who had come up even in
these few seconds, he said: II am running
this train through TO Corinth, and have
no time 10 spare;" and nodded to Knight
who once more put on the full force of
the engine-thcre was nothing to be guined
by care in avoiding alarm any longer, for
the distant whistle of the pursuer was
'heard--and we rushed ut the depot, which,
then stood right across the double track,
and passed with fearful speed under it's
roof Here knight got his most terrible
fright. The darting into the partial dark
ness OF the shed was bad enough, but just
at the far end the main tract, bends sharply
to the left and the sWervc was so sudden,
and the speed already so high, that Knight
believed he was rushing on another side
track, and that in moment would como
the awful crash. But instead the engine
instantly righted, and he again saw the
track straight before him. But so quickly
had we passed that we could net certainly
determine whether the people at the sta
ton had been warned or not!
A mile above Dalton, which was about
as soon as the headlong rush of the engine
could be checked, we stopped again, Just
opposite to where Col. Jesse Glenn's regi-
ment OF conscripts were encamped i'm
field. Their position, which was within
200 or 300 yards of us, was probably not
seen until we were close to them, and it
was better to take the risk Of their inter-
ference than to lose time by seeking an
other place for more pressing work.
Again the wire was cut; but it was
second too late, for n message had just
been flashed through, no doubt even as
Scott was bringing it down. The usual
distractions were here piled on tho track,
and we again cssayed to take up rail,
for the Chickamauga bridges were Just
above, and we wanted time enough to get
thSm on fire, hoping that Fuller would
stop long enough ut Dalton for the pur-
pose of getting his telegram ready, to
allow us to finish the track lifting. No
men ever worked with more desperate en-
ergy, but all in vain; long before the rail
was loose the pursuers were again upon
rs.
The race recommended with all its speed
and fury. The great tunnel was short
distance ahead-a glorious place for an
ambush, where, in the darkness, the guns
Of the enemy would be of little value If
Andrews was disposed to fight, there
would be the place Of all Others to do it,
With the smoke of our train filling the
space, with our party in ambush along
comparatively
sure, IL they had twice our number, for
of course we could not tell how much Of
q reinforcement they might pick up Mt
Dalton. But we kept right on through
the tunnel and the village of Tunnel Hill
beyond, where we carefully drew down to
conceal our number from the curious eyes
Of any who might be about the station.
At Calhoun Fuller had received q small
but very effective re-enforcement--only
boy thirteen years old, but worth dozen
of ordinary men-by means of one of
those apparently small circumstances
which often influence the course of great
events. At Chattanooga the CHEF officers
of the road had become alarmed by re-
ceiving no dispatches from Atlanta or
the stations below Kingston. They there
fore directed the young assistant operator
at Dalton to jump on the passenger train
just then leaving that station and go
south, sending them back word at each
station passed till the cause of the trouble
was found. He had only got as far as
Calhoun when Andrews passed, and Fuller
in q moment after. The latter hardly
came TO stop before he saw the operator,
and called him, and without word of
explanation seized his hand and dragged
him on the train. In the run up, how
ever, he made all the necessary explana-
ions, and wrote out the following dis
patch:
FULLER's TELEGRAM.
''To Gen. Leadbetter, commander ut Chat |
tanooga:
"My train was captured this a. m. ut |
Big Shanty, evidently by Federal soldiers |
in disguise. They are making rapidly for |
possibly with the idea of |
burning the railroad bridges in their rear. |
II do not capture them in the meantime,
see that they do not pass Chattanooga.
CIVILIAN A. FULLER"
This he gave to the operator, saying, |
Don't speak to anybody or lose second
till you put that through to Chattanooga.
Jump for the platform when slow up, |
for / must push on and keep those
Yankees from getting up rail or burning
the bridges
1t was terribly quick work. The opera
tor was at home in the office, and almost
before Fuller had cleared the she'd he was
ut the desk and the first words were over
The wires. Whether they had time to get
The whole message over before the cut is
very doubtful, and not material, for the
first two lines would answer every pur-
pose. Had Fuller stopped at this point,
and himself went into tho Office long
enough to set the operator at work, it is
almost certain we would have had the rail
up, and then all the bridges above that
point would have been burned; though it
S still possible that enough of the message
night have been pushed through to secure
,ur arrest in Chattanooga This was
another striking instance Of the many
narrow margins on which this day hinged.
AS Fuller pressed on toward the great
tunnel, even his resolute heart almost
lied within him, while all his party began
o blame him for foolhardiness. He
cared to plunge into its dark depths. 1t
vas still filled with smoke from our en-.
zine; and he well knew that If we jumped
,ff at the far end and hurled back our
locomotive at him, it meant q horrible
leath to every one on his train and he
vas by no means sure that we would not
10 it. Mr.. Murphy, who had so ably
TODD by him all the while, here counseled
prudence, pointing out all the perils of
IN ambush. But Fuller realized as APP
,arently no one else did the desperate
iced of pressing on to save the road; and
10 had made so many escapes and been
N marve1ouelv favOre6 fbat m bind of |